Residents In Abuja Lament Fuel Shortage, Long Queues

The present fuel shortage and ongoing lines at the petrol stations have caused much moaning among drivers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

A NAN correspondent who checked on petrol stations in Abuja on Tuesday disclosed that many of them aren't dispensing anything, and the handful that are are really clogging up traffic because of huge lines.

The country's currency supply, which they claimed is aggravating the problem, was also mentioned by the drivers, who urged the Federal Government to act quickly.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (NNPCL) has blamed restrictions on companies and mobility during the presidential and National Assembly elections for the fuel lines in Abuja and several other regions of the nation.

NNPCL reported that activities had restarted at the depots and that trucks were being sent to different regions of the nation.

Aloysius Osita, a motorist, told NAN that the resurgence of gasoline scarcity is worsening citizens' sense of hopelessness.

"I believed that the issue of fuel scarcity had finally been handled, but I was startled to find lineups everywhere," he continued.

“It has worsened the situation, in view of queuing for fuel and Point of Sale (POS) payment at the same time.

“After queuing for fuel, you will also queue for POS, which may decline and alter the fuel purchase.”

Gbemi Olugbenga, a different motorist, raised concern about the lack of items and encouraged the regulatory authority to speed up product distribution to mitigate the impact.

"Sometimes, some petrol stations are taken over by touts who typically hijack the operation of the gasoline station, generating more difficulty and traffic for other commuters", he said.

Some of the locals also bemoaned the scarcity of fuel for their generators, which they used for both home and commercial purposes.

According to NAN, black marketers are also spotted making brisk sales, asking N4,000 for 10 litres of petrol via electronic transfer or POS payment and N3,500 in cash.

The black marketers had trouble collecting fuel from the stations, according to one of the sellers who wished to remain anonymous, who also added that most of them prefer cash payments over transfer or POS payments.

In the meantime, a litre of petrol costs N940 at NNPCL retail locations while it costs N950 at other petrol stations.

In order to lessen the tightness in the fuel distribution, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has stated that it was collaborating with other parties. (NAN)